


Freefall

by snarechan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 17:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12237357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarechan/pseuds/snarechan
Summary: Skydiving without a parachute was never supposed to be a part of this Hunt.





	Freefall

**Author's Note:**

> In-game we're never _really_ given an explanation why the gang can/can't warp, so I just wanted to play around the FFXV sandbox and experiment with the concept, myself. 
> 
> This story kind of hung out in limbo after previous editing attempts fell through, but Glyphenthusiast was generous enough to step up to the plate for me! Any remaining errors are my own.

Ignis' seat jostled underneath him. Perplexed by the incident, he forewent browsing his cell phone in favor of looking for the source. At a glimpse the disturbance wasn't immediately apparent.

Noctis remained slumped in the corner with his face pressed against the window. Earlier, he'd inquired about the gondola lifts leading to-and-from the city of Lestallum. Yet twenty minutes into their slow ascent and nothing save forests and empty, grassy knolls had dampened Noctis' enthusiasm to the point he'd dozed off. It was good to see him relaxed, but Noctis was hardly a reliable indicator for one's immediate well-being.

To the prince's left resided Gladiolus. He'd slouched in his seat and retrieved his newest literary volume as soon as the conductor assured passengers that they were well on their way. Gladiolus didn't seem alarmed at the prospect of the cabin shaking itself apart. Point in fact, he was so engrossed in his reading that he turned another page in his novel.

Altogether, the scene indicated a singular conclusion. Ignis turned toward his neighbor. Situated closer to the center of the bench seat, away from both doors and windows on either side, was Prompto. He clasped his hands in front one moment and rubbed them along his knees the next. His leg jiggled, which explained the unprecedented bouncing.

Prompto caught Ignis staring and put a stop to the case of restless leg syndrome. He offered him a wan smile and said, "This is pretty crazy, huh? I bet the Nifs will never think to look for us this way."

"That would be the idea," Ignis said.

The Niflheim Empire may have receded from Leidi outposts, but their forces remained impenetrable in the regions of Duscae and Cleigne. If the four of them had any hope of traveling uncontested then they must temporarily retire the Regalia. Incurring alternate means of exploration involved more creative endeavors, thus the gondola ride.

"Ya know, it's hard to imagine something like this back home," Prompto went on to say.

Ignis was accustomed to the other man's boundless energy from his time spent beside him in the passenger seat of the car. His humming to music on the radio or fiddling with his camera used to perturb Ignis. However, since becoming acquainted with Prompto's quirks they'd become ambient white noise. That said, with no driving responsibilities to act as a buffer Ignis resigned himself to small talk.

"Yes, the majority of the kingdom is quite flat. The sole location that would have warranted such technology was the Walls, but the Royal Conservation Committee retrofitted those with elevators half a century ago. There'd be no reason to construct lifts or tramways."

"Oh yeah! If I needed to go anywhere, I totally preferred the bullet trains. Those things are _sweet_. This one time, for school, we took a trip to see the sports stadium in…" Prompto tapered off, the memory causing him to grimace. "Man, I wonder how much of Insomnia still exists."

The atmosphere in the gondola grew too heavy for Ignis' tastes. Perhaps for Gladiolus' liking, also, since he noted the other man hadn't flipped to a new passage in awhile. Clearing his throat, Ignis said, "Lucian architecture is some of the finest in the world. I'm certain whatever remains standing will be repairable and the rest can be constructed better than before. But until restoration efforts can begin, let us worry about more pressing matters, such as our Hunt."

"I guess you're right," he relented. Prompto wasn't quite his upbeat self when he switched to the new topic. "Do you think we'll reach the target site before nightfall?"

"I imagine we will make it to the outpost in time to secure lodgings and not much else. Investigating the reports of extensive property damage might be better suited for tomorrow."

"Huh. I wonder what's causing problems, anyway?"

"The tipster _did_ mention some minor claw and teeth marks on the scene, but I'm more concerned with the burn damage. The locals surmise it's the work of a single culprit and I'm disinclined to agree. We should prepare for the possibility of multiple assailants."

"We've handled sabertusk packs before," Prompto said. His bangs swayed into his eyes as the carrier moved and he brushed the hair aside. "We should be able to divide and conquer like normal, right? That wouldn't be so scary; unless we're dealing with daemons. Ugh, I hate those things! I always feel nauseas after dealing with them. Maybe I'm allergic?"

"Perhaps. Didn't Cid provide you with a new weapon to deal with such riffraff?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah! I've even fiddled with some of the settings in my spare time." He carried on and Ignis let him. Their friend clearly needed the diversion to overlook his fear of heights. Ignis resumed idling on his smart phone, but kept half an ear turned towards Prompto.

His explanation on the inner workings of his anti-daemon machine halted as soon as their gondola did. The carrier jerked, and then stopped completely. The crackling voice of their operator carried on the PA system as they announced 'technical difficulties' and 'not to panic, everything will be underway soon.'

The bumps and jolts weren't enough to wake Noctis, but Prompto whimpered and latched onto the nearest surface. Namely, Ignis' thigh. He grunted at the unexpected treatment. Prompto realized where he'd placed his fingers and released his grip on Ignis' leg, mumbling a rushed apology.

Gladiolus glanced up from his reading material, thumb folded in between the pages. Upon staring somewhere over their heads, he straightened in alertness. "The hell?"

"I can't look," Prompto said and covered his face with both hands. "What is it? Are we on fire? Please tell me we're not on fire!"

"Well, we're not on fire," Gladiolus enunciated slowly. His book shut with a _snap_ and he tucked it away in his pants pocket.

Ignis followed his line of sight. In the distance, near a pylon, he spotted some frantic activity. When it wasn't obvious what made up the strange mass circling the tower he squinted and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The cloud broke apart, and Ignis hissed in alarm, "Wyverns! Several of them."

"What? Like, those giant flying lizards with talons longer than my face?" Prompto asked, and whirled around in his seat. He forgot his aversion to heights long enough to confirm the creatures' presence for himself, before he gulped and shielded his eyes again.

Gladiolus asked, "Yeah, they are, but how come they're so far from the mountain? I thought wyverns nested on Ravatogh."

"I assume the little cretins are causing the same ruckus we've been tasked with rectifying," Ignis said.

Peeking through his fingers, Prompto asked, "Are they getting closer?"

"Yep." Gladiolus shook Noctis by the shoulder. "Yo, Noct. We've got company."

"Tell them to buzz off," he grumbled. The prince swatted in Gladiolus' direction, adamant about resting.

"Somehow I don't think they're in a listening mood."

"Brace yourselves!" Ignis yelled. There was nowhere for the group to run and hide, but they made a valiant effort to find cover. Prompto and Ignis dove to the floor. Gladiolus dragged Noctis down when their charge didn't react to the alert.

Three wyverns descended on the gondola. Glass from the windows and doors exploded everywhere. At the noise Prompto flinched against Ignis' chest; he affirmed his hold on Prompto's arm and drew him in tighter. Thankfully, Gladiolus filled in where Ignis couldn't and protected the whole entourage from the worst of the onslaught.

"What the _fuck?_ " Noctis said. He'd at last deigned to wake up and join them in the present.

"Dude! Took you long enough," Prompto admonished.

A wyvern shoved its head inside, so Gladiolus uppercut it in the teeth. The monster clung to the door as it reeled from the assault, and ripped the door clean off its hinges as it tottered backwards. More of the creatures replaced the first.

Noctis and Ignis exchanged glances. The prince nodded and, in a flash of light, summoned a short sword to his hand. Ignis reached over with a sphere of ice and enchanted the blade with the magic contained inside to help inflict greater damage. Noctis charged to his feet and defended the Northeast side, and calling forth a set of daggers Ignis covered his blind spots.

Ignis stabbed a wyvern in the eye and tossed his secondary blade at the creature flying behind the one he'd felled. The weapon embedded itself in the wyvern's shoulder. It screeched in agony and plummeted toward the ground, unable to stay in the air.

"Okay, there are definitely _way_ more than the poster advertised!" Prompto said. He'd chosen his standard handgun, although he hesitated to open fire in the cramped area. He was limited to one corner of the gondola, otherwise forced to take potshots when an opening presented itself.

"Isn't it great?" Gladiolus asked. A shield was in place on his forearm. The tight quarters also made it impossible for him to fit his preferred weapon, much less swing a greatsword. One of the wyverns pounded its thick skull against the metal plating before Gladiolus high kicked the creature in the chest. The force of his boot made the creature’s body concave and put the monster out of its misery.

Prompto forewent aiming his gun to send Gladiolus a withering glare. "Sometimes I _seriously_ worry about you."

"How about you worry about yourself," he countered.

Prompto didn't have a comeback because he was too busy staring outside. He said, "Whoa…that one's bigger than the others! Do you think it's momma?"

Ignis identified the newcomer with increasing apprehension. This was no small flier, but an enkidu. Greater in size and worse in temper compared to the wyverns they'd faced thus far, the creature didn't even flinch at the bullets Prompto unleashed.

"Oh. Oh shit," Prompto said and seized Noctis by the wrist. He bodily dragged the prince as far from the openings nearest to the enkidu as possible, and in turn, Gladiolus raised his shield to brace for impact.

The creature aimed for the gondola much like a massive bird of prey; its hind legs slammed into the remaining side door. The contraption broke off its hinges with such force that it blew out the opposite wall. Gladiolus took the brunt of the attack, sparing them, but accompanied the door beyond the platform.

Before anyone could cry out their friend's name, the enkidu's talons sunk into the metal casing. Wildly flapping its wings, the creature shook and upended the gondola. Ignis stumbled out a window and lost a glove as he scrambled for a purchase he couldn't keep. He could only helplessly watch as Noctis clung to the hilt of the sword he'd stabbed in the carrier's floor.

"I've got you, I've got you! I won't let go," Noctis promised Prompto, who clung to the prince's hand. They dangled there until the enkidu, having other ideas, knocked the whole box free from the cables and sent them falling.

Prompto's screams caught up to Ignis as, after a minute of mad spinning in midair, he nabbed Noctis by the jacket sleeve. Him and Noctis needed to shout to be heard over the other man's terror, the rushing wind, and the enkidu's roars of indignation. In a fit of hubris the enkidu had become stuck to the gondola, affording them a moment of respite.

"Gladio is dropping like a stone!" Ignis warned.

Noctis scowled. "Ngh. This is gonna suck a lot harder, now."

"Wait— Noct, what's going to suck?" Prompto asked. His words hiccupped. Without sparing him a response, Noctis summoned a spear in his freehand. Prompto’s rising panic manifested itself in the high-pitched way he reiterated, " _Noct!_ Buddy, what—"

"Are you certain? Your father could bestow such magic to his followers to control, but even he couldn't mass transrelocate," Ignis exclaimed.

Prompto’s eyes widened against the wind. "Trans-what now?"

"Just tell me when." Noctis grit his teeth.

"Guys, you're seriously freaking me out!"

Ignis concentrated for when the moment was right and said, "Now!"

"Hey, Gladio! Think fast." Noctis let the spear loose. It hurdled toward Gladiolus. His aim was off, but it was a calculated risk given their altitude and speed. The guardsman managed to catch the weapon by the end of its shaft. Once he came into contact with the spear Noctis teleported.

Prompto and Ignis went with him.

They rematerialized in flecks of blue luminescence. Prompto's yelling resumed, cut off by their disappearance and reappearance. Gladiolus was dogpiled. He released the spear and latched onto the three of them with both arms.

"We're cutting it awfully close," Gladiolus said.

"Then get ready for round two." Noctis panted, visibly strained but determined.

Prompto, incredulous, asked, " _Again?_ No way!"

"What are you waiting for?" Gladiolus demanded.

"Get off my back," Noctis snapped. "I've never warped anyone with me. I have to know my destination or we're going to end up like burnt pancakes."

"You've never— Are you serious?" Prompto's voice rose again.

"There! Aim for that clearing," Ignis instructed.

Noctis didn't wait any longer. A knife appeared in his hand and he put his full strength behind the throw. Their bodies vanished in a flash of lightning. A quiet was left in the wake of their absence.

Noctis' knife whizzed by a pair of courting birds nestled on a log; a few feathers slowly drifted in the air as the animals flew off in fright. Their bodies popped into existence as the knife slammed into the ground. Gladiolus lost hold of everyone save Noctis. The two of them struck the ground and rolled until Gladiolus' back slammed into a tree trunk. His form stayed curled tight around the prince's body until Gladiolus was sure nothing else dangerous would follow, and then he gingerly shifted off Noctis.

Ignis had tumbled into the bushes and lost his glasses, but he saw enough to know Noctis wasn't reacting to Gladiolus hails for him to respond. He clawed free of the shrubbery and crawled until his shoes gained enough traction for him to limp the remainder of the way to Noctis' side. Energy spent, Ignis collapsed to his knees and asked, "Is he…?"

Gladiolus' expression was impassive as he suddenly backhanded the prince’s cheek. The other man didn't flinch at the treatment. Ignis caught Gladiolus wrist after he smacked Noctis again. He was about to demand what Gladiolus intended to accomplish with such aggression, when the prince gasped awake. His coughing spurred him to sit up. Ignis released the guardsman to support Noctis through his hacking fit instead.

"Mother—" Noctis wheezed and punched Gladiolus in the chest. He probably meant the gesture to be harsh, but the act of consecutively relocating himself and three people had drained him. "— _fucker._ "

"Heh. Must not be dying if you're acting this feisty," Gladiolus remarked. He ruffled the prince's hair, dislodging dust and grass. Noctis shoved his hand away with a huff.

Despite the smirk, Gladiolus' posture didn't relax. A scrape from his elbow to his shoulder had him bracing against his knee with his good arm to resume his footing. If Ignis squinted he could see more scrapes on his back where his jacket rode up, exposing the raw skin, but his leather pants fared better in protecting his lower half. He looked around and asked, "Guys, head count?"

"Present," Noctis rasped, with no lack of sarcasm.

"I _meant_ , where's Prompto?"

Everyone paused while the matter sunk in, and then Noctis awkwardly attempted to scramble upwards. Ignis switched his hold; he looped Noctis' arm around his neck and braced his hand on Noctis' hip to help pull him to his feet. Gladiolus cupped his hands around his mouth and called out their friend's name. At the lack of a response, Ignis sensed Noctis' mounting distress without him voicing his concern.

"He can't be far," he patiently reassured. They needed Noctis calm and their heads clear if they wanted to find Prompto. Ignis schooled himself and planned ahead, anticipating what Noctis would say next.

"I saw him when I threw the knife. I know I did. But what if I…"

"Relocating someone as substantial as Gladio and myself is no small accomplishment. If you were able to do so, then someone of Prompto's stature will have made it all right. We'll find him."

"You say that, but how do you _know?_ "

During their discussion Gladiolus had wandered ahead. On his next shout there came a soft rustle and a distant, "Up here!", and then the snapping of a tree branch. A flicker of blond hair and drab clothes through a swathe of leaves revealed Prompto's entire path as he collapsed through layers of a nearby pine tree.

Gladiolus rushed to catch him. In a shower of tree bark and leaves, Prompto collapsed into his outstretched arms. Knicks marred his freckles, but otherwise he looked unscathed.

"How ya feelin', little buddy?" Gladiolus asked.

"That…was… _awesome_!" he said in lieu of an answer, Prompto’s teeth chattering. Although his enthusiasm had its limits, as demonstrated when he said, "But let's not do that again soon. Please."

Ignis pinched his nose in exasperation, but he couldn't be too upset when he sensed the tension in Noctis' body ease away at Prompto's return. With his head craned back Ignis noted a shadow fall over the group. He couldn't decipher the exact cause, so he voiced as much. "Pray tell, what _is_ that?"

"Hm?" Prompto looked up. Sucking in a sharp breath, he frantically pointed and screamed, "Gondola!"

At some point the equipment had caught on fire. The enkidu had broken free and now the carrier hurdled towards them. Ignis dragged Noctis to the side while Gladiolus dove with Prompto to the right. The burning gondola crash-landed down the middle of them. It pushed the ground aside, uprooted trees, and left a sweltering path in its wake. Dirt and melted bits were kicked up every which way and rained on top of them.

A screech alerted them to the enkidu's arrival. Gladiolus shoved Prompto behind him and in one fluid motion he swung his arms. His broadsword responded to his call and the blade met with the monster's teeth. He hadn't a chance to rise from his kneeling position as they locked in place. The enkidu's scaly lips peeled back in a snarl and Gladiolus bared his teeth in return.

Prompto had frozen up at the sight, the encounter occurring so quick, but as a yellow and orange glow originated in the back of the enkidu's throat two guns materialized in his hands. He shot the creature in the cheek and then dead center in its eye, distracting it from breathing flames all over Gladiolus. The creature was far from deterred and didn't release Gladiolus' weapon from between its jaws.

"Perhaps we should retreat," Ignis advised, and casted a weak healing spell on Noctis. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could manage right then.

"Fat chance," the prince said. He shuddered, as if shaking off the vestige tingles from the spell, and brought a weapon to bear. Without waiting for a response, Noctis charged into the fray.

Ignis sighed, but didn't verbalize his reservations again. He summoned a lance, wanting a better chance of striking the enemy without his glasses to aid him.

Gladiolus pushed against the enkidu, but was unable to force the creature back. Not knowing how much longer he'd have an easy target, Ignis took a running leap and planted a foot on Gladiolus' back. Using him as a springboard, he got an extra bit of air than if he'd simply jumped. He twirled and landed with the tip, stabbing clean through the monster's toughened hide. The enkidu bucked once, so Ignis plunged his weapon in deeper, and then it collapsed.

"Nice ten point landing," Noctis teased.

"I was aiming for its throat," Ignis admitted. He was a tad miffed that he was off target, even marginally.

Gladiolus twisted to take in the shoeprint on his jacket. "Did you really have to walk all over me?"

Ignis snorted. "How fortuitous that I'm in charge of laundry. Worry not."

The derision was not lost on Gladiolus, who smirked and said nothing more on the matter. He planted a boot on the enkidu's face and heaved his shoulders to free his broadsword. Even in death the monster was reluctant to release the weapon. As soon as he wrenched it loose the creature twitched. Ignis stumbled and gripped his lance with both hands to keep from slipping.

At the disturbance Prompto unloaded his guns into the enkidu's face. The triggers clicked empty. They watched for any more surprises, but the enkidu was truly dead. Prompto still had his spent firearms trained on the enkidu when Noctis gave him a slap on the back. He assured, "I think you got it."

Gladiolus held out a hand and assisted Ignis on the way down. Dismissing his weapon, he let out a sigh. "I believe that will be enough excitement for today."

"Does this mean we can turn the bounty in early?" Prompto asked, recovering.

"Perhaps. We'll need to walk—"

Prompto's body sagged as he groaned. His complaints were mirrored all over Noctis' face, who couldn't look more displeased at the notion. "Aw, walking? _Really?_ "

"Might I remind you lot that the point of this excursion was to avoid relying on the Regalia? Either we walk or we hitchhike, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather not risk running into a platoon of Magitek Troopers. I doubt they'll be so inclined as to give us a ride anywhere but to a Niflheim fortress," Ignis pointed out. His tone was clipped, but internally he was no more enthused about their prospects.

Prompto released another sound akin to a dying chocobo, before both him and Noctis looked to Gladiolus. The other man didn't waste a moment informing them, "Suck it up. I'm not carrying either of you. I've already done enough of that today."

"Says the guy who got punted twenty stories through the air," Noctis groused.

"Yeah!" Prompto seconded.

"We're wasting daylight," Gladiolus said. Seeming fed up with their protests, or perhaps testy at the teasing, he slapped both men on the derrière. The force of it propelled them forward and in the direction of Lestallum. Prompto yelped and gave his rump a worried rub, but they were finally on the move. Ignis ran a hand through his hair and reminisced that he'd lost the glove on that hand. He set off after his compatriots, resigned to a return trip as dynamic as the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [writing blog on Tumblr](http://snaurus.tumblr.com/) for more content!


End file.
